Machine for picking millstones



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

E. WOLOOTT DANIELS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR PICKING MILLSTONES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,897, dated January 24, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E. lVoLooTr DANIELS, of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Picking Millstones; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure l, is a side view of my invention applied to a machine for picking mill stones. Fig. 2, is a plan or top view of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in those machines for picking mill stones which have the pick shaft fitted in a sliding frame attached at one end only to the bedpiece or stock of the machine as may be seen for instance in the machine of S. W. and R. M. Draper patented May 25th, 1852, May 13th, 1856, and April i9, 1859.

The object of the within described invention is to obtain a more delicate and perfect adjustment of the pick so that the stones may be cracked or picked between the large or master furrows in a more perfect manner than hitherto.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a bed-piece on which a horizontal cam B, is placed, said cam, when the machine is to be used, being placed on the spindle of the stone or on a shaft arranged for the purpose and concentric with the stone. The latter arrangement would be necessary in picking an upper stone or runner. In picking the bed or stationary stone, the cam is adjusted on the spindle. The bed-piece A, has curved bars a, attached to its under side, which bars rest on the face of the stone to be picked, and to this bedpiece a lever frame C, is placed and allowed to work freely on its fulcra a, a. The lever frame C, is formed simply of a bar b, attached to arms c, c, one at each end as shown clearly in Fig. 2. This lever frame is actuated by the cam B, and a spiral spring E, the latterbeing on a rod F, pivoted to an upright e, hereinafter described, and which rod is fitted within a forked arm G, attached to a pick shaft H, and which arm is provided with a laterally projecting pin CZ,

that extends over the bar Z), of the lever frame C. The cam B, gives the upward movement to the lever frame and the spring E, the downward movement or blow of the pick I, which is placed ina stock J, that is attached to an arm K, said arm being fitted on the shaft H, and allowed to slide thereon.

The pick shaft H, is fitted in a frame L, which is formed of two end pieces connected by a cross bar g. The bearings of pick shaft H, are in the end pieces, the shaft being allowed to work freely in its bearings. One of the end pieces is fitted on a. guide it, at the side of the bed-piece A, and allowed to slide freely back and forth thereon.

On the bed-piece A, a rack M, is secured, parallel with the guide it. Into this rack a pinion L, gears, said pinion being on a rod j, which is fitted longitudinally in the frame L, and has a hand wheel 7c, on its outer end. By turning the rod y', the frame L, is moved and the pick I, adjusted in planes at right angles to the bed-piece A.

The above described parts form essentially the machine of S. WV. and R. M. Draper, previously alluded to. This machine as well as others similarly arranged performs well for cutting or dressing the large or master furrows ax, as a very nice or delicate adjustment of the pick for such purpose is not essential, but in cracking the stone, that is to say, in forming small furrows bx, about 18 or 2O to the inch, between the large furrows ax, a very nicevadjustment is required in order to have the small furrows parallel so that they will not intersect or run into each other. A result of that kind would materially detract from the eficiency of the stones. In the machine of Drapers and others when the frame L, is moved by a rack and pinion L as shown, the pick shaft H, cannot be adjusted perfectly at right angles to the bed-piece for the action of the pinion z', on the rack M, has a tendency to throw the adjoining end of the frame L, forward in advance of the opposite outer end. And also, for want of means to hold the upright (e) firmly to the guide (71,) there is a tendency to produce a slight vibration or movement back and forth, laterally, of the frame L and pick shaft H; which vibration is fatal to accuracy in the cutting of the small furrows.

My invention consists in the arrangement in combination with the movable frame soy aforesaid of an additional adjustable frame, in which the picker is hung in the manner hereinafter described.

On the guide 72 a bar N, is placed and allowed to slide freely. To this bar N, abar O, is attached at right angles, and to the outer end of bar 0and tothe bar g, of frame L, a bar P, is attached at right angles and consequently parallel with N, see Fig. 2.y

In the bar'O, two screw rods Q, Q, are placed, which work in nuts R, It, one of which is attached to the upright e, and the other to the upright f, of frame L. It lwill be observed that the uprights (e, 70,) slide upon guides upon the upper parts of the end pieces of frame L. The front ends of the screw rods Q, Q, have each a bevel pinion m, on them and these pinions gear into corresponding pinions g', g', on a shaft R, one end of which has its bearing in the bar N, and the other end its bearing in a plate it', attached to bar P. The upright 7, of the frame L, is tted Ona guide n, on the bar I).

From the above description it will be seen that in cutting the large or master furrows, the frame L, may be adjusted in the old way, viz., by the rack M, and pinion i.

In order Vto cut the smaller furrows, orto adjust the picker so that it will accurately cut the small'furrows, the operator rturns the sha ft R, which, through the medium of pinions g', g, mi, m, and screws Q causes the uprights (e, f,) and with them the picker and shaft, to advance or recede, as may be desired. As both of the end rpieces or uprights (e 7) slide upon ways, and as' equal power is applied to them simultaneously through the screws'Q it is manifest that the picker and its shaft will moveon an exactly straight line, and the cuttings will allbe'parallel; and their distance apart may be regulated to the utmost iinene'ss and nicety.

In the other machines before noticed, the

Vouter end piece of the framer which supports the picker shaft, rests upon the stone, while the inner end piece runs Yupon a guide; the picker frame is thus rendered dificulty of movement by reason of the friction of the outer end piece upon the stone; and there is,

. possible.

moreover, a tendency, from the same cause,

to throw the inner end piece forward or in advance of the outer end piece, thus displacing the picker shaft, and rendering its useful employment to cut the fine furrows im- If these finer furrows are not accurately cut the wheat will not be properly ground, and large proportions of refuse called middlings will be made, to the loss of better flour. My improvement enables the miller to dress his stones, including the fine furro-ws, with an accuracy hitherto unknown; andy the resulting advantages are a greater uniformity in the quality of the flour, and an increase in the quantity of good flour from a given amount of grain.

As an additional security to nicety and accuracy of work Iy have devised a locking device (Z) which` is placedon the barN, for the purpose of locking said bar and with it the frame L to the bed piece A and thus proventinglateral vibrations thereof during the operation of the picker. The lock I have shown Vconsists of a screw passing through the bar N and bearing against the bed piece A. When the frame L isr thus locked it cannot, of course, be moved by the pinion (i) but the picker shaft and pickerk may be moved, by turning the `shaft It', as before described.Y Any suitable locking device'may be employed, nor is any particular position essential, so long is it will firmly hold the frame L, and prevent its vibration.

I claim none ofthe parts shown inland operating substantially as described for the purpose specified. Y

E. W. DANIELS.

- Witnesses: Y f Y i J. M. STEBBINS, NATI-IAN LooMIs. 

